Meet the Authors

Date: Sunday 30 April 2023
Starting time: 1.00pm - 2.30pm
Location: The Life Lab, Woden ACT Library, Corinna St &, Furzer St, Phillip ACT 2606


Program:

• 12.45 pm - Registration and welcome drinks and food
• 1.00 pm - Panel discussion and community connection
• 2.30 pm - End of event

Meet the Panel 

We are very excited to bring you an all-female panel with the stories of Undefeated book authors.

Our Authors:

Anny Sarmiento

Anny Sarmiento is Colombian. Migrated to Australia in 2015 with her husband to study English in Melbourne for eight months. After that, she enrolled to study a Master’s In Professional Accounting and graduated in 2017. Shortly after she finished it, was hired to cover a friend that took extended leave in a Construction Company that ended up in four years employment. She moved to ACT in
2021 and currently works for a Security Company as a Project Administrator. As a migrant she is interested in making it visible that it’s possible to have a professional path regardless of the background or beliefs.

Maria Bedoya

Mafe is a Colombian psychologist and HR Specialist. She is also a traveller, gardener, piano student, and failed roll skater. She has a curious mind. She has done a little bit of everything in life and the list keeps growing.

Mafe migrated to Australia in 2019 with an emotional crisis after she had a miscarriage, to study English and heal herself. She began to work as a cleaner, and later found a job in hospitality. Then she discovered work in the mental health and disability sector, where she finds more meaning in her life.

Hangama Obaidullah

Hangama came to Australia from Afghanistan as a refugee in August 2003. At that time, she spoke no English, but in October that year she began her English language studies and progressed rapidly. She enrolled as a mature age student at St Mary’s Senior High School, Sydney, NSW, graduating with her Higher School Certificate in 2009. She received an Award for Excellence, Major Works, and a Commendation Award for her HSC body of artwork.

Hangama has since developed her arts practice in painting, drawing, photography and writing. She moved to Canberra in 2010. Hangama has exhibited in a variety of public venues in Canberra, other Australian cities and internationally and she has worked actively as an advocate for migrant women and refugees.

Hangama’s artwork draws on her Afghan heritage, her homeland and its history. She espouses an aesthetic and philosophy of beauty, grace and community service. Her goal is to assist other women and children from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse through her visual arts practice and her writing.

Dr Chloe Lim

Dr Chloe Lim is a scientist trained in molecular biology who has worked in medical research and biotech start-up for over 14 years before transitioning to her current work in the government. She is an entrepreneur, with a balloon twisting business, Giggly Wiggly Balloons, and a career coach and speaker. She is also an author who published a children's book called "What Makes You Unique", introducing children to genetics and how DNA makes us unique.

As a migrant who has lived in New Zealand, Singapore and now Australia, she understands the challenges a migrant faces living in a foreign country. She shared one part of her migrant story in the book "Undefeated", an anthology of migrant women stories published with the non-profit organisation Professional Migrant Women. She is passionate about helping women gain the confidence to get out of their comfort zone and go for their goals and dreams.

Moderator: 

Khin Kha  

Khin is an IT Professional, Cultural Diversity Champion, Documentary filmmaker, and Asia 21 Next Generation Leaders nominee. She co-founded Phoenix Sisters, a volunteer-based network that aims to help people and organisations understand and cultivate their cultural intelligence through professional development conferences, career workshops, and mentoring programs. Phoenix Sisters won the 2021 Beyond Bank Great Ydeas Community Grant and hosted the ‘Be your best’ conference in May 2022.

She also co-founded Kumudra Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation that supports access to healthcare in Myanmar, focusing on disadvantaged community members. She is currently finalising a documentary on Myanmar orphan children.

Phoenix Sisters: https://www.phoenixsisters.org

Find out more about the book here

Books are available to purchase at the event.
As a special thank you for joining us, all attendees will be presented with a door gift as a reminder of this special occasion.

Important Information about the event

• This is an inclusive event. Everybody is welcome to participate

See you there!

The PMW Team

Proudly sponsored by: